AKAs raise AIDS awareness (Photo by Natalie Dunn, The Daily Campus)

On the second day of Alpha Kappa Alpha Week, all the students in Hughes-Trigg Commons directed their full attention toward HIV/AIDS prevention speakers from Mosaic Family Services, Inc.

While students munched on pizza provided by AKA, speakers provided proactive HIV/AIDS prevention tips, statistics and safe sex material in an effort to inform students on how to better protect themselves.

Mosaic speakers spoke with sincerity, awknowledging sex as a part of most college students’ lifestyles and encouraged those students to adopt safe sex practices. The group provided tips such as asking partners for regular test results, how to discuss sex before hand, how to use condoms and contraceptives properly and encouraged students to contact agencies for factual information regarding STDs.

Mosaic is a non-profit group that seeks out low-income communities reflecting evidence of excessive drug use and illegal activity. It offers the public safe sex materials and street HIV tests by method of Ora-Sure.

“One hundred to two hundred thousand people are infected with HIV and they don’t know it, said Jimmy Wigenton, whom is the lead counselor at Mosaic. When asked how the group came up with the statistics he responded that thousands of people who are infected with HIV have had several sex partners, unaware of their medical condition, with whom they are no longer in contact. Wigenton said that the highest concentrations of HIV are females whose ages are 13 to 24.

The group warned students to not disregard the disease.

AIDS affects all communities, including the SMU community. SMU students should refer to the Memorial Health Center on campus for free anonymous HIV testing.

But it has been noted countless times that the most secure remedy from HIV is abstinence, said the members of Mosaic.

“Don’t believe that everyone is having sex and if you’re already having sex it doesn’t mean that you can’t stop. You can do it,” Mosaic Case Manager Sherry L. Richardson said.

Wigenton said that this is the second time AKA asked Mosaic to hold a HIV information session, and they were please to be invited.

This week will be filled with activities and events in light of AKA Week. Community outreach events resume today in the Varsity at 7:08 p.m. with the Battle of the Sexes. Invest in a Black Man is on Thursday at 7:08 p.m., AKApollo is at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday morning AKA week will end with community service. For more information about AKA or AKA week events contact DMSA office or the DMSA website at http://www.smu.edu/dmsa.